GB2427115A

GB2427115A - A total contact saddle

Info

Publication number: GB2427115A
Application number: GB0511904A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mario Prisco
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-06-13
Filing date: 2005-06-13
Publication date: 2006-12-20
Also published as: GB0511904D0

Abstract

A total contact saddle comprises two pieces of material A and B sewn together with the smaller piece of material B laid on top of the larger piece B. These pieces would preferably be formed of leather. The shorter top piece B is hinged at a sewing seam to reveal a D-ring D. This is secured between the two sheets at a position towards what will be the front of the saddle when in use and serves as an attachment point for the stirrup leathers which support the stirrups. A small leather loop B located toward to the back of the saddle may serve to support any unused length of stirrup leather. Girth straps C are sewn to the underside of saddle piece A, and are used to secure the saddle to the horse when in use. The saddle may be used in conjunction with a gel pad and a numnah.

Description

Total Contact Saddle - Description

Background

For some two thousand or more years the idea of a saddle for riding horses has been that of designing a seat' to be strapped on the back of the horse for the rider to use.

Over time this has resulted in the formation of a number of designs which are essentially the same (although some variation of shape exists for discipline specific uses such as that of dressage riders, show jumpers, jockeys etc). This design mainly consists of a tree' or frame/former which is then covered in padding and typically a leather cover which forms the main part of the seat. Leather areas form a knee roll at the front of the saddle and a cover to protect the stirrup leather and girth (the strapping that circles the horses belly to hold the saddle onto the horse).

Problem The concept of the Mario Prisco designed Total Contact saddle is that if two D' rings could be attached to the ribs of the horse in the right place for stirrups to hang from then no saddle would be needed at all. He maintains that a riders ability to communicate to the horse by way of using his/her balance, riding aids such as use of the leg/thigh area and body posture is impaired due to the thickness of the saddle padding and leather.

He further postulates that the correct posture for show jumping, and jumping activities in general, sees the rider holding himself/herself balancing on the stirrup irons at the point of balance with the horse's centre of gravity to aid the jumping effort and control and that the seat part of the saddle is rarely used as such. However, Prisco does recognise that novice riders are currently taught a different way of riding and that this elite' method is something that is developed over time. He therefore wonders why, if this method is employed, why novice riders are not taught this way from the start. He suggests that this is in part due to the style/design of the saddle.

This new design of saddle enables the rider to have a more positive influence on the way of going by improving the impact his riding aids have on it - use of the leg, balance, body posture - as it reduces to an absolute minimum the depth of material between the horses back and the rider. The horse can be much more sensitive to these riding aids and so respond quicker and with more ease. The rider on the other hand needs less effort to ride and use these riding aids to good effect.

Essential features The Total Contact saddle is a simple construction of two widths of leather (or similar material) laid flat on top of each other. The attached drawing shows the saddle as two pieces of material where A' represents the back of the saddle, and so the longest length, and B' is the shorter of the two lengths laid on top of A'. B' covers the D ring (shown as D' in the drawing) that the stirrup leathers hang from so that the rider does not do damage to his leg through contact with the buckle of the stirrup leathers.

The D ring is located towards the front of the saddle and close to a shaped area of A' (shown as F' in the drawing) that is designed to fit closely around the withers area of the horse. On the view from above drawing item E' is a small loop of leather located to the rear of the saddle so that the long length of the stirrup leather may be slotted into it and so kept out of the way of the riders leg when riding.

In the drawing shown from below item C' indicates the position of two straps that are sewn onto the back of A' so that the girth may be secured to the saddle and so the saddle to the horse's back. This consists of two straps with a varying length of strapping to accommodate differences in the girth of the horse.

Item B' is secured to A' by way of stitching as is item C' to the back of'A'. Item B' may be lifted at the stitched area to reveal the D rings (item D') and the stirrup fixings.

The saddle is made in a number of different colour ways, leather standards, stitching colours andmateria1s (a nylon version is available for cost aware customers).

It is envisaged that a rider will use a normal polypad blanketJnuninmah beneath the saddle with the addition of a gel pad to ensure a close fit to the horses back can be maintained.

Explanation of attached drawings The attached drawing shows the Total Contact saddle in plan view (the top drawing) and from underneath (the bottom drawing). Where features are hidden from view these are shown as dotted lines. Letters are used to identify features and these are referred to in the text above. The drawing is not to scale and should only be taken as an approximate position of features, shape, measurements etc.

Claims

CLAIMS: I. A device for attaching stirrups and a girth to and providing

support for a rider when horse riding that is placed on the back of the horse just behinds its withers.
2. A device, as claimed in Claim 1, that has rings that allows the stirrup straps and buckles that allow the girth to be attached to.
3. A device, as claimed in Claim 1 and 2, that may be constructed of leather, plastics or other synthetic materials or a combination of these materials in a number of colourways.
4. A device, as claimed in preceding claims, that does not have a tree' to create the shape as in a traditional device of this type but instead may be laid flat when not on the horse's back.

A device, as claimed in the original claims list - Claim I - that may be laid flat when not on the horse's back and does not have a defined seat for the rider that contains a cantle or pommel.

, A device, as in original claims list Claim 1, that allows the inner thigh to be in closer contact with the flanks of the horse through two layers of material that may variously be leather or a synt,hetic material.

j. A device, as in preceding claims, that allows the rider to affect the passage of the horse by way of subtle changes to accepted riding aids balance and use of legs - as it only has two layers of material - see preceding claims for material types.

4. A device, as claimed in preceding claims, that does not have a tree' to create the shape as in a traditional device of this type but instead may be laid flat when not on the horse's back.

S Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS: 1. A device for attaching stinups and a girth to and providing support for a rider when horse riding that is placed on the back of the horse just behinds its withers.

2. A device, as claimed in Claim 1, that has rings that allows the stirrup straps and buckles that allow the girth to be attached to.

3. A device, as claimed in Claim 1 and 2, that may be constructed of leather, plastics or other synthetic materials or a combination of these materials in a number of colourways.